SAGA BECKER
MM: Who do you love most in the world?
SB: There are so many people in my surroundings that I love, but there’s one specific person that means extra much to me, and that is my grandmother who unfortunately passed a couple of years ago. She was my best friend and support. We laughed, cried, helped and encouraged each other in everything there is in life. We could talk about everything – life, death and love. Sometimes we’d talk all day and sometimes we’d just sit quietly. She was my hero. She taught me something before she died: she said that life is too short to be scared all the time. You have to live. You can’t let fear keep you from being yourself, no one should keep you from achieving your dreams. She taught me that I’m not broken and that life is worth living. She made me fearless. She’s with me in everything that I do and there is not one day that passes that I don’t think about her.
MM: What do you love doing most in life?
SB: My writing has always been what’s closest to my heart. It’s been a way for me to process, get a perspective on things and evolve. To put my emotions into words makes me see things in a different light. It also makes me calm. It’s creative and the storytelling has no boundaries except one’s imagination. Writing has so many functions to fill and many times helps me laugh, grieve, heal and grow as a person.
MM: You grew up in a small town in Sweden. What was the best thing about moving to Stockholm?
SB: I grew up close to the woods outside of Ronneby in Blekinge. After finishing high school I moved to Malmö where I lived for six years, and one year ago I moved to Stockholm. The reason for my move was just career strategy. It feels like everything’s happening in Stockholm, especially if you’re working with different forms of culture as I do. But I don’t really feel bound to one place in particular. I work with creativity, and that you need to find mostly within yourself. The best thing about Stockholm is that it gives me inspiration, especially during the summer. It’s beautiful during that time of the year.
MM: Last summer you did a very personal talk on Swedish Radio. What was the most rewarding experience you had to go through producing the show?
SB: It was important for me to put what I’ve been though into words. It was a long and painful process that opened up old wounds that I thought I’d healed from, but it also gave me perspective and was in some ways therapeutic. I learned incredibly much about myself throughout the entire project. The response that I got was very positive and beautiful. My goal was to make at least one lonesome soul feel less lonely. I never thought there would be so many that would listen and recognize
themselves. The most rewarding thing about the show was that I could make some of my listeners feel stronger through telling my story.
MM: What’s your favourite movie?
SB: I have so many favourite movies, but one that’s especially close to my heart is “Show Me Love” (Fucking Åmål in Swedish) by Lukas Modysson. Since I’m from a small town I could easily see myself in the search for identity and sexuality in an environment where norms and structure decide who and how you should be. And then to see someone actually break loose from those rules made me feel less lonely.
If there ever was a movie about you, what actress would portray you?
Since I had never acted before I was in “Something Must Break” ("Någonting måste gå sönder" in Swedish) I don’t think that person has been discovered yet. Many times I think that the cinematic world underestimates rookies and a lot of times goes with safe cards instead of trying new things, which I think is quite boring. I think I would like someone completely unknown to play me. Someone who didn’t have any acting experience but instead had experience from life itself and could relate to what I’ve been through.
Name: Saga Becker Born: Ronneby, Blekinge, Sweden, 1988 Live: Stockholm & Malmö Occupation: Actress, Artist & Activist